The city of Chicago has pulled back the veil on plans to renovate and revitalize and aging public transit station on the city's South Side.
The city has turned to artist Theaster Gates to create an art installation at the L train's Red Line 95th Street station.
Gates is a prolific artist best known for repurposing old objects and structures on the South Side, and has recently been celebrated for restoring the area's historic but long-dilapidated Stony Island Arts Bank.
Gates is also the founder and director of the Rebuild Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on cultural-driven redevelopment and affordable space initiatives in under-resourced communities.
The Chicago Tribune shared the scoop about his newest project.
The installation will be built to resemble a radio station, and will host live DJs.
The shared renderings show not only the radio station, but also tapestries made from old fire hoses. Gates told the Tribune that these are meant to serve as a nod to the civil rights movement when fire hoses were used as weapons against African Americans marching for equality.
"When I was asked by the [CTA] to participate in this, I was super excited because it meant there was another way by which we could share beauty in black and brown neighborhoods," Gates said. "None of us wants to spend our lives walking past an eyesore, having to get on an eyesore."
Chicago's mayor, Rahm Emanuel, joined Gates in the revealing of his designs. The mayor praised Gate's vision and social consciousness at the event.
The installation, part of a $280 million renovation, is set to open in 2018.